1 / 9

Rubus odoratus

purple-flowered raspberry

Rosaceae Eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Fragrant (light)

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–7

Overview

Rubus odoratus is a deciduous, thornless shrub in the rose family growing 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) tall and spreading 6-9 feet (1.8-2.7 m) wide by suckers into loose thickets. The large maple-shaped leaves are 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) wide with five lobes and toothed margins, and the canes and flower stalks are covered in sticky, reddish, gland-tipped hairs rather than the prickles of most brambles. From early summer into early fall it bears rose-purple to pink five-petaled flowers 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) across that carry a light fragrance and open a few at a time over a long season. The flowers give way to broad, flattened red fruit resembling a shallow raspberry, edible but dry and seedy with little flavor. The plant grows naturally in moist woodland edges, rocky slopes, and stream banks, often in partial shade. It spreads steadily by suckering roots, which suits it to naturalized plantings but can crowd a small border. The canes are biennial, flowering in their second year.

Native Range

Rubus odoratus is native to eastern North America, from eastern Canada south through the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and Tennessee, growing along moist woodland edges, ravines, and rocky stream banks.

Suggested Uses

Used in woodland gardens, shaded shrub borders, naturalized plantings, and on moist banks for erosion control. The long bloom season and fragrant flowers draw pollinators, and the suckering habit binds soil on slopes. It fills shaded, moist areas where fruiting brambles struggle.

How to Identify

Identify flowering raspberry by its thornless canes clothed in sticky reddish gland-tipped hairs and its large five-lobed maple-shaped leaves 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) wide. The rose-purple to pink five-petaled flowers 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) across appear through summer. The broad, flattened red fruit looks like a shallow raspberry and separates easily from the receptacle when ripe.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 6'

Width/Spread6' - 9'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering runs from early summer into early fall, often June to September, with new flowers opening over many weeks. The fragrant rose-purple blooms draw bees and other pollinators. Fruit ripens through late summer as flowering continues on the same plant.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

rose-purple to pink

Foliage Description

medium green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 3-6 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Rubus odoratus grows in partial shade to full sun in cool, moist, fertile soil with a pH near 5.5-7.0 and steady moisture. It grows well in the dappled light of woodland edges and tolerates more shade than fruiting raspberries. The plant declines in hot, dry, exposed sites and holds up where soils stay evenly moist. It spreads by suckers into colonies, so a defined edge or removal of suckers controls its width. Established plants need little feeding beyond an annual mulch of leaf litter or compost. Hardy in USDA zones 3-7, it withstands cold winters.

Pruning

Pruning is done after fruiting or in late winter. The biennial canes that have flowered and fruited are cut to the ground, leaving the new canes to bloom the following year. Removing suckers around the margin limits the spread of the colony.